Zuo Ning participated in a reality show with a very simple and easy-to-understand name: “On a Whim”. After going through season after season of trial and error, the show had gradually learned how to capture the audience’s attention.
Those dramatic in-fighting moments in the show might create a spike in attention and buzz for a short time, but such things, after being watched once, don’t necessarily make viewers want to come back for more. Since it was a travel-themed reality show, its core appeal lay in being gentle and long-lasting, something people could rewatch a second or even third time without feeling bored or tired.
Of course, the “budget travel” format was part of the attraction, too. But if the show constantly used a lack of funds to generate drama, no matter what country or city they went to, that kind of setup could also become tiresome.
Taking all aspects into account, “On a Whim” evolved into a new kind of presentation: each stop on the journey would still involve a budget limit, but the celebrities would now have to plan their own spending. They’d receive an amount of money based on the average tourist expenditure in that location, and everything—accommodation, food, transportation—would be up to the stars themselves to arrange. However, on the final day before leaving, they would be allowed to spend their own money on shopping.
Zuo Ning was very satisfied with that last part. Even though it was technically work, he had come here to have fun in the first place. Still, Chu Hang reminded him to keep things under control—don’t go on a shopping spree and forget everything else. After all, the cameras were still following them, and if he bought something overly expensive, it might not reflect too well.
Zuo Ning, carefree as ever, reached out and slung an arm around Chu Hang’s shoulder. “Relax, sister-in-law. The show won’t edit things recklessly. They know what should and shouldn’t be broadcast. If they air something they shouldn’t…” He gave a smug little chuckle.
Chu Hang pinched that fresh, almost dewy face and said, “Watch what you call me in public, will you? Don’t just blurt it out without thinking.”
Zuo Ning grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah, I know.”
Although everyone was part of the same industry, they might only know each other on the surface, and some had never interacted privately at all. The four female cast members were all current trending starlets—fair-skinned, beautiful, ethereal types. The youngest was twenty, the oldest twenty-eight—right in the prime of their youth.
As for the guys, the youngest was Zuo Ning at twenty-five, and the oldest was thirty-four.
Everyone was around the same age, and all of them had clawed their way up through the industry, so they more or less knew how to get along and carry themselves. So even though it was their first time all gathered together—aside from Zuo Ning and Chu Hang being from the same side, most of the others weren’t very familiar with each other—they still quickly warmed up and began joking around like old friends.
Zuo Ning, though… sure, he could be lively when he wanted to, but he was clearly more reserved in front of strangers. Especially now that Lu Chenghe wasn’t by his side. He had just been separated from him and was still in the throes of missing him. He hadn’t quite shifted into “work mode” yet, so he just sat quietly off to the side with a fruit platter in his hands, eating in silence. Only when someone threw the topic his way would he respond with a word or two.
Zuo Ning’s background and identity were well known both inside and outside the entertainment circle. He was from the Lu family—everyone understood what that meant. Since no one could quite grasp his personality yet on the very first day, they neither excluded him nor were overly enthusiastic. Instead, they took a cautious and gradual approach. But aside from Chu Hang, everyone was silently sighing inside. Now that they had a young master like him joining them, who knew how this filming would turn out?
While the group was taking a short break in the departure lounge, the production crew handed the travel funds for the first stopover to the celebrity team. Even though Zhou Xicheng, the oldest at thirty-four, was among them, in terms of star power and status, it was naturally Chu Hang who ranked highest. So the staff directly handed the money bag to him. “This is your budget for the seven days in Dubai.”
Chu Hang opened the bag and took a look. Zuo Ning leaned in, stretching his neck to peek inside as well. It was obviously different from the budget they’d previously been asked to set themselves. “Is this for one person, or for all of us together?”
“All of you,” the staff replied.
Someone quickly asked Chu Hang, “How much is in there?”
Chu Hang did a quick count. “Two hundred and forty thousand.”
A female cast member gasped. “So that’s thirty thousand per person, and we’re supposed to stay in Dubai for seven days? Production team, are you serious? Are you planning to film us sleeping on the streets or what?”
Only then did Zuo Ning snap to attention. “Dubai? We’re going to Dubai?”
Chu Hang nodded at him. Although they truly hadn’t known where they were headed before departure—the tickets and all that had been handled by their managers—the itinerary for the first episode had already been shared with them before filming began today. But at that time, Zuo Ning had probably just taken the sheet and not even looked at it, too busy rushing off to eat.
Zuo Ning’s eyes lit up instantly. “Then are we staying at the Palace Hotel? The world’s only eight-star! I’ve never stayed there before!”
Chu Hang pulled out three stacks of money from the bag and handed them to him. “One night’s room fee. For the remaining six days, you’ll be penniless and stranded on the streets.”
Staring at the money in his hands, Zuo Ning thought for a moment, then tentatively asked, “Then what about the Burj Al Arab? It’s one of Dubai’s most iconic landmarks. If you don’t stay there, it’s like you haven’t really been to Dubai.”
Chu Hang replied, “If you go for the cheapest room, you can stay there for three days. The room comes with free fruit, so you can survive on that. But after those three days, you’ll be homeless again for the next four.”
Zuo Ning quickly said, “But there are so many of us. What if we use two people’s budget to cover six days of hotel fees? That hotel has duplex suites, and they’re huge. We can all squeeze in somewhere and sleep. The leftover money would be enough for food, drinks, and some fun. Then on the last day, we use our own money to splurge and stay at the Palace Hotel to get the experience. How about that?”
Naturally, when traveling, everyone wants to eat and stay well. The production team had only given them money based on the bare minimum. But if they started off with the Burj Al Arab, no one could say for sure how the rest of the trip would go. At the moment, everyone was feeling a bit conflicted. Should they follow Zuo Ning’s suggestion and enjoy themselves while they could, worrying about the money later, or should they plan more carefully before making any decisions? But with Zuo Ning suggesting it so enthusiastically, they were also afraid of offending him if they objected too strongly.
While everyone was still hesitating, Chu Hang patted Zuo Ning on the shoulder and tossed him an empty bag. “There’s free food and drinks at the airport. See those instant noodles over there? Go grab a pack. That way, if you do end up on the streets, at least you’ll have something to fill your stomach.”
Zuo Ning let out a drawn-out “ah?” and followed Chu Hang’s finger with his gaze. “Uh, is… is that really okay?” This was a public area. Eating it on the spot was one thing, but taking it with him… wouldn’t that be a bit inappropriate?
The youngest girl in the group jumped up and said, “Brother Lu Ning, I’ll go with you to grab some. Look, there are so many of us. There’s no way we’re eating instant noodles for lunch anyway. If each of us takes one cup, it still counts as per person, not like we’re taking too much.”
After Zuo Ning left, Chu Hang gave everyone a helpless smile and said, “Let’s go ahead and make a plan, figure out which option works best. We’ve got two hours until boarding, so we should still have time. Le Jun, An Xin, you two go get the money exchanged first.”
Almost instinctively, Chu Hang had already become the leader and the one in control of the group.
Everyone knew Chu Hang and Zuo Ning had worked together on several dramas and films, and it was widely acknowledged that they were close in private, too. With him taking charge, no one had any objections. But after all the discussion, they still ended up realizing that the most appealing and practical plan was exactly the one Zuo Ning had suggested earlier.
When everyone regrouped, although they decided to follow Zuo Ning’s idea for now, the hotel itself was a concern.
“The Burj Al Arab is fully booked all year round. Usually, you need to make a reservation at least a month in advance. We’re leaving right away—probably too late now.”
Chu Hang turned to ask the production team, “Can we ask for outside help? Just for someone to help book the hotel.”
After a brief discussion, the production crew nodded in agreement. As long as no one else was paying for them, it was fine.
With permission granted, everyone looked toward Chu Hang, and Chu Hang looked straight at Zuo Ning. Although Chu Hang could’ve easily found someone to help, too, well… among this group, the one with the strongest connections was clearly Zuo Ning.
Seeing everyone’s eyes on him, Zuo Ning was a bit confused. What’s going on? When he saw Chu Hang wink at him, he instantly caught on. “Oh, oh! I’ll go contact someone and ask.”
This was where Lu Chenghe’s all-purpose assistant really proved his worth. Booking a hotel? That’s child’s play.
With the major issue of accommodation settled, the rest was naturally all about having fun. The production team hadn’t arranged any particular tasks; the whole point was to take the audience along as they played around and got a glimpse of what a celebrity vacation looked like. If the interactions between the stars turned out to be entertaining, that would be another highlight.
As soon as they got off the plane, a luxury car from the hotel was already waiting to pick them up. Compared to previous seasons, where they had to find their own transportation and the guys had to haul luggage around, this season’s opening was blissfully easy. This expensive hotel was clearly worth every penny. The money hadn’t been wasted.
Just as Zuo Ning was getting more and more into the groove, fully enjoying himself and finding his rhythm with the filming, Lu Chenghe, back in the country, wasn’t idle either. He was following the trail and digging out one hidden mole after another, along with some highly sensitive photos that those people had in their possession.
Little Pudding was very clingy, and sometimes—even in public—he couldn’t help but show a bit of affection. Things like hugging or cuddling couldn’t possibly have gone completely unnoticed over the years. But though some of these moments had indeed been captured, none of the photos had ever seen the light of day. No one had dared to make them public.
Although these photos didn’t seem to show anything particularly serious on the surface, the problem was that both people in them were men. If it were only about revealing Little Pudding’s sexual orientation, that wouldn’t be too big a deal. But judging by the intel Lu Chenghe had uncovered and the materials retrieved from those moles, it was clear the real motive behind it wasn’t just to seek justice for Xing Ze, who’d died and been vilified online a few years ago. That person had, in fact, already made more than one attempt to harm Little Pudding directly.
More than three months ago, Little Pudding had a sudden bout of gastroenteritis one night. Unexpectedly, it was because of this that they discovered lingering toxins in his body that hadn’t yet been metabolized. It was a type of synthetic chemical compound. When taken in large doses, it could cause immediate death, but when administered little by little, the toxin would slowly deteriorate bodily functions. Once it built up to a certain threshold, it could even become carcinogenic.
Someone living under his own roof had actually been poisoned. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Lu Chenghe wasn’t home that day, and if Little Pudding hadn’t been craving something spicy and cold at the same time, which ended up upsetting his stomach and sending him to the hospital—then the truth might never have come to light until the toxin had already caused irreversible damage. By then, it would’ve been far too late.
Originally, because of their difference in species, Lu Chenghe had always been concerned about Little Pudding’s health. Even if he’d turned into a human, his life span might still be limited to that of a dog. So, in the early years, Lu Chenghe would take him for a check-up every three months. It wasn’t until recent years, after confirming that Little Pudding was growing according to normal human physiological development, that they reduced it to once every six months.
The one who poisoned him was definitely someone close. Only someone who knew exactly when Little Pudding would go for his medical check-ups could time it precisely. Any mistake, and if the toxin hadn’t fully metabolized before the next check-up, it would’ve been detected immediately.
The doctor had said they were lucky to catch it early. No irreversible damage had been done to Little Pudding’s body yet. As long as he followed a proper recovery plan afterward—with dietary therapy and acupuncture to help detoxify his system—he’d be fine, and there wouldn’t be any long-term effects.
But even though the early discovery had prevented any major harm, that didn’t mean Lu Chenghe was going to let the person behind it off easily.
Besides the doctor and Lu Chenghe, no one else knew about the poisoning, not even Zuo Ning himself. He simply thought Lu Chenghe was punishing him for being greedy and had forcibly kept him at home to recover for over half a month.
Lu Chenghe also didn’t alert the enemy. Since someone had managed to poison Little Pudding without his knowledge, it was clear that if the perpetrator truly wanted to kill him, it would’ve been all too easy. But evidently, that wasn’t the intention. That person didn’t want to give Little Pudding a quick and painless death; they were clearly aiming for long-term torment.
To be able to hide in the shadows, to disguise oneself, and carefully plot, this person was clearly patient and calculating. Since it was unclear whether they had other plans or backup strategies, Lu Chenghe naturally wasn’t going to act rashly. What he wanted was a single, decisive strike that left no loose ends.
As soon as Hu Yuan stepped off the plane, he was seized by two unfamiliar men. But he knew exactly who had sent them, so he didn’t struggle much. Even if he had, it would’ve been useless.
Inside a private villa, Lu Chenghe sat watching as Hu Yuan was dragged in. This man, who had always presented himself as cultured and refined, now looked utterly disheveled for the first time. Lu Chenghe glanced at the glasses on his face and suddenly recalled how, the first time Little Pudding had met him, he’d come home complaining—saying that men who looked gentle and wore glasses always gave off a “refined scumbag” vibe. At the time, Lu Chenghe had scolded him for talking nonsense. But unexpectedly, the kid had been right on the mark.
Once Hu Yuan was inside, the two men who had brought him in let go. Two of Lu Chenghe’s personal bodyguards stepped forward and kicked the back of Hu Yuan’s knees, forcing him to kneel.
Hu Yuan gave the lackeys a cold glance and let out a sneering chuckle. “What a shame.”
According to his plan, if he’d had just a little more time—when he unleashed everything he’d gathered over the years, including how Lu Chenghe had twisted the truth back then, how he’d falsely condemned Xing Ze and portrayed an innocent man as guilty—then not only would that Lu Ning be finished, but Lu Chenghe himself wouldn’t come out unscathed either.
Over the years, as Lu Ning became more and more active on screen, the Lu Corporation also drew increasing public attention. Once the incident with Xing Ze from back then was exposed, his old fans would undoubtedly rise up to demand justice. When that time came, the entire Lu Corporation would likely face considerable trouble. Of course, Hu Yuan no longer cared about that. His most important plan was to destroy Lu Ning—bit by bit. He didn’t want Lu Ning to die so easily. He wanted Lu Ning to be tormented by cancer, to reach a point where he couldn’t live or die, to truly taste that kind of suffering!
Lu Chenghe stared at him with an impassive expression for a long moment. “As expected of a professor. Your lover had just died, still being condemned by the entire world, and you were already plotting revenge. You even went so far as to date another man as cover. When the whole world was cursing Xing Ze, you were by someone else’s side whispering sweet nothings. That kind of patience… truly, it is a pity.”
Perhaps reminded of the person he used to be after losing Xing Ze, Hu Yuan’s face twisted with rage and bitterness. He glared fiercely at Lu Chenghe and snapped, “Lu Chenghe, don’t get smug. One day, you’ll get what you deserve!”
Lu Chenghe leaned back on the sofa and gave the bodyguards a signal. One of them immediately stepped forward. As the other two held Hu Yuan in place, the bodyguard pulled out a syringe and injected him with something.
Hu Yuan couldn’t break free, but he still shouted at Lu Chenghe through clenched teeth, “You think this will destroy me? If you’ve got the guts, just kill me! You, with your bloodstained hands, how many innocent lives have you ruined for your selfish desires? The retribution for all of it will fall on Lu Ning! I curse him to die a miserable death!”
Before he could finish his words, a bodyguard slapped him hard across the face.
There was no way someone like Hu Yuan—a man who lived behind books—could withstand such a blow, especially while being held down. His head nearly twisted off his neck, blood filled his mouth, and no one could tell how many teeth had been knocked loose in that one slap.
“If you like cursing people with cancer so much,” Lu Chenghe said coldly, “then why don’t you try having it yourself first? Once you get cancer, that’s when you can leave this house.”
As Lu Chenghe stood up and prepared to leave, Hu Yuan suddenly exploded, trying to break free from the bodyguards holding him. But the one who had been watching him closely reacted instantly, stomping down hard and forcing him back to the ground. The rest rushed over to pin his arms and legs.
Hu Yuan strained to lift his head, his eyes burning with hatred as he screamed, “Lu Chenghe! If you’ve got the guts, kill me now! Otherwise—one day—I swear I’ll make you regret everything!”
Lu Chenghe stood beside Hu Yuan, towering over him as he looked down, lips curling coldly. “Kill you? Someone like you isn’t even worth dirtying my hands with blood. You’re disgusting.” With that, he turned and walked out without a second glance.
On the second day of Hu Yuan’s confinement in the villa, a bodyguard casually tossed a newspaper into his room. The front page headline read: Renowned University Professor Uses Position to Sexually Assault Female Students. Beneath it was a photo—his own.
Hu Yuan’s eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at it, and from deep in his throat came a few broken, hoarse roars. This kind of baseless slander—only Lu Chenghe could have fabricated something so vile.
He had never expected Lu Chenghe to be this ruthless. He had thought his plan was flawless. Lu Ning would develop cancer gradually, and no one would ever suspect it was deliberate. Even if the truth eventually came out, he could just escape abroad. The world was big. Surely he could find a place to hide.
But he should have known long ago how vicious Lu Chenghe could be, how he wouldn’t even spare someone already dead. If he never returned, Xing Ze wouldn’t have had even a place to rest in peace—his bones would’ve been ground to ash.
He used to think: so what if I die? But now he truly understood. There were far more terrifying things in this world than death.
After locking Hu Yuan up, Lu Chenghe had all the properties under Hu Yuan’s name, along with those deliberately registered under others, thoroughly dealt with.
He hadn’t moved on Hu Yuan right after discovering Little Pudding was poisoned because he suspected Hu Yuan had left a backup plan. Though that so-called backup amounted to little more than some troublesome public opinion, it was nothing he couldn’t easily squash. Even so, he didn’t want Little Pudding to find out, nor did he want him to be reminded of that car accident years ago.
Lu Nianqi’s arrival was something Lu Chenghe had expected. Without waiting for him to ask, Lu Chenghe directly tossed all the evidence of Hu Yuan’s actions over for him to see.
Hu Yuan had been Lu Nianqi’s boyfriend. Back then, Tang Yifeng had wanted to target the Lu family, so he picked a few vulnerable people to strike at as a warning. One of them, aside from the innocent Zuo Ning who got caught in the crossfire, was Lu Nianqi. But at that time, it just so happened that Hu Yuan passed by and lent him a hand.
At the time, Hu Yuan had still been a not-yet-twisted university professor—gentle, humorous, and charming. Helping Lu Nianqi had been a completely instinctive and sincere act. Hu Yuan himself hadn’t thought much of it. But only a few days later, his lover Xing Ze was caught in that tragic “accident”.
In the beginning, the rumors said the driver had been targeting Lu Ning, and Xing Ze had only died as an innocent bystander. At that time, Hu Yuan swore he would seek justice for Xing Ze—he had to avenge him. But just a few days later, a flood of scandals about Xing Ze was exposed. Hu Yuan knew Xing Ze liked to play around, and that he loved money—he had countless women. But when it came to men, there had only ever been Hu Yuan. Their love had been real. Those women were nothing more than toys to Xing Ze.
But Xing Ze was already dead. Why couldn’t they let him die with some dignity? Why did they have to drag out so much dirt, leaving him no peace even in death? Why wasn’t it Lu Ning who died? Why did he get to step over Xing Ze’s corpse to rise in the world? Hu Yuan wanted revenge. But Lu Ning’s security was too tight, and that’s when he remembered Lu Nianqi.
Lu Nianqi was probably bent from the start. He only had to crook his finger a little, and that fool took the bait on his own. The deeper his contact with Lu Nianqi grew, the more he began to realize: the wave of public criticism against Xing Ze back then had actually covered up the truth. Xing Ze had died in someone else’s place—the one they had really wanted to kill was Lu Ning. But Lu Chenghe had buried it all. To protect Lu Ning, he had gone so far as to smear a dead man.
Hu Yuan wanted revenge. It was all because of Lu Chenghe. But the one he targeted was Lu Ning. Because only Lu Ning was Lu Chenghe’s weakness. As Lu Nianqi looked through the stacks of information in his hands, his mind went blank.
How could the man who had lived with him all these years possibly be the same Hu Yuan described in these documents? His lover was just an ordinary university professor—cultured, scholarly. He left early and came home late, and worked hard every day. During winter and summer breaks, they always traveled together. They had been together for so many years, and their relationship had always been sweet and loving. They had never even fought once. How could someone as gentle, as tolerant, as Hu Yuan possibly be the person written about here?
Lu Nianqi knew that Lu Chenghe was giving him this information meant that the matter was already decided—the conclusion was sealed. But still, clinging to a sliver of hope, he asked, “Second… Second Brother, could this be… some kind of mistake? You’ve met Hu Yuan, too. You should know what kind of person he is. How could he possibly do something like this?”
Lu Chenghe looked at Lu Nianqi in silence. He was human, not a god. Especially when it came to the people he loved most, he knew, logically, he shouldn’t take out his anger on the innocent. But humans, humans could never remain rational at all times.
Looking into Lu Chenghe’s eyes, Lu Nianqi suddenly felt a chill spread through his chest. But if Lu Ning was Lu Chenghe’s beloved, then how was Hu Yuan not his own? How could he possibly accept something like this?
In the end, Lu Nianqi still opened his mouth and pleaded, “Can I see him? There are some things I want to confirm myself.”
Lu Chenghe also wanted to see what choice he would make, so he nodded in agreement.
However, as long as a person is still alive, as long as there’s a sliver of hope before them, Hu Yuan would never just give up. After Lu Nianqi met with Hu Yuan, he came straight back and knelt before Lu Chenghe. “Second Brother, I’m begging you…”
Lu Chenghe cut him off coldly, “Begging me for what? To let him go? Lu Nianqi, do you even know what you’re saying?”
Lu Nianqi, eyes red, stared at him. “Second Brother… I’ve been with him for so many years. My feelings weren’t fake. I know you could never forgive what he’s done, but he hasn’t yet committed an irreversible crime. Second Brother, I’ll take him away. We’ll never come back to this country. Everything I own can be handed over to Lu Ning as compensation. Second Brother, I’m begging you. He won’t hurt Lu Ning again, I swear. Please, give me this one chance.”
Someone who had been by his side day in and day out for years… someone he had loved deeply—even if that person had made mistakes, how could he just cut it off as if it were nothing? He knew Hu Yuan had done wrong, but how could he just let go of the man he loved? It was the same with Lu Chenghe. If Lu Ning had done something wrong, would Lu Chenghe just abandon him? That was impossible. It all came down to being on opposite sides.
Lu Chenghe looked at him coldly. “Lu Nianqi, your surname is Lu.”
Lu Nianqi couldn’t hold back anymore and burst into tears. “But he’s my lover! Second Brother, I’m begging you—please, I beg you, he already has nothing left. I’ll do everything I can to make it up to Lu Ning. Please give me one more chance.”
“Make it up? Everything you have comes from the Lu family. What exactly are you offering as compensation?”
Lu Nianqi clutched the hem of Lu Chenghe’s trouser leg. Hearing this, his heart grew even colder. “So I’m just the Lu family’s little cat or dog. When you’re happy, you take me home. But that actual dog, you all hold in your palms and protect. Second Brother, I’m your younger brother, your blood-related younger brother. Have you ever truly treated me like one of your own? In the beginning, I hoped for it, I really did. But later I realized I wasn’t, no matter how much I hoped. I wasn’t. I learned to let go. I went to look for my own happiness and my own family. I know Hu Yuan was wrong; he made mistakes, and he even lied to me. But after all these years of feelings, how am I supposed to just let go? He…”
He’s the one who truly lived with me day and night like family—that was the sentence Lu Nianqi didn’t dare to say out loud. But Hu Yuan was the one who shared his days and nights.
Lu Nianqi raised his hand and wiped the tears from his face. He looked up at Lu Chenghe. “Second Brother, just this once. I’m begging you, just this once. I’ll take him away, and I’ll never appear in front of you again.”
Lu Chenghe looked at him coldly, his eyes indifferent. “Telling you your identity was your right to know. Whether you return to the Lu family or not is your own choice. And now, you speak words of blame. Lu Nianqi, your mindset has been wrong from the very beginning.”
Lu Nianqi stared at Lu Chenghe in a daze, but Lu Chenghe looked back at him and spoke word by word: “You’re doing all this for a man who deceived you, who doesn’t love you. Lu Nianqi, even family requires emotional investment. Acting like this—tell me, what right do you have to make people accept you, to treat you like family?”
Lu Chenghe directly pried open Lu Nianqi’s tightly clutching hands. “I won’t kill Hu Yuan, but I won’t let him off easily either.”
Lu Nianqi had just wanted to say he would go beg Lu Ning—if Lu Ning was willing to forgive… But the thought had only just come up when he suddenly remembered: Lu Ning wasn’t in the country. He had already gone abroad to film a program.
Lu Nianqi looked at Lu Chenghe and sat weakly down on the ground. With his head lowered, he gave a bitter laugh. “You calculated everything. That’s why Lu Ning isn’t in the country right now. By the time he returns, everything will have already been handled cleanly. And this matter… Lu Ning will never know about it, right?”
How wonderful. It must be truly wonderful to be loved by someone like that in this lifetime. All growth has to endure storms, but Lu Chenghe’s love was the kind that would keep someone from ever growing up.
Lu Nianqi left. He knew that no amount of begging would change Lu Chenghe’s mind. And before Lu Ning returned, he would completely disappear from Lu Ning’s world. That was exactly the point of Lu Chenghe allowing him to come see Hu Yuan—to watch how he made his choice, and then decide how to deal with him. It had all been meticulously calculated.
In the end, the fortunate stay fortunate, and the unfortunate remain unfortunate. If he could, he wished everything could go back to the beginning, back to when he heard that sentence: “Do you want to return to the Lu family?” He would answer: No.
It all felt like fate, a kind of inevitable retribution. But what exactly had he done wrong? He didn’t choose the family he was born into. He loved the wrong person because someone had intentionally led him to. What was his fault in any of this?
Far away in Dubai, Zuo Ning still had no idea that waiting for him back home was a baffling equity transfer agreement. That amount of money, to Lu Chenghe, was nothing more than a few crumbs slipping through his fingers. But since Lu Nianqi wanted to offer it as compensation for that man, of course, he wouldn’t stop him. Might as well have Little Pudding accept it, and then donate the money—consider it as doing a good deed to accumulate some blessings.
At that moment, still in Dubai, Zuo Ning had already begun his conquest, with his enormous appetite leading the way.
Moonlit: Lu Nianqi… ૮(˶╥︿╥)ა
